What is my Location? Kit needed ...

OLDFLYBYNIGHT

I would like to know what kit I should use when out walking, to identify my location to a set of coordinates.
I do not own a smart phone, or tablet, but would be prepared to buy something as long as it doesn't require an expensive subscription.
Please advise.

This would be to assist in cataloging sites within a parish boundary including benches, viewing points, exact spot where a photograph is taken from, etc. As a volunteer, I am OK with a smallish cost to complement the data I am collecting for the parish council.

Thank you in advance for any assistance given.
Gill

forgotmyname

Plenty of handheld GPS units on the market. Most camping shops sell them.

Small cost, get a cheap smart phone. If you want to do the job properly then they are not that cheap.

Start with a Garmin eTrex 25 £300 ish or the Montana £400 ish?

agrinnall

Ordnance survey map plus notepad and pencil - total cost, under £10.

were

Something different, but would help?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpfvA__bugQ

This one uses google earth, and seems a bit more complex
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vowN3gHAlU

OLDFLYBYNIGHT

Thank you Forgotmyname I suppose a visit to a camping shop would be required to see what sort of coordinates the kit shows. I've looked at Cornwall County's interactive mapping system, and as you move your cursor over the pc screen, their grid reference / coordinates change (eg SW 74690 54056) and is based on Ordnance Survey data. Another bit of location software's coordinates looked to be configured differently with 50.3375313, -5.1751369, etc.

A smart phone is a bit beyond me I'm afraid because of the monthly charges - guessing that I'd be out of wifi range, and I'm told data charges can be costly. The garmin kit is way too expensive, but thank you for a specific suggestion.

I suppose a tablet would have the same out-of-range wifi issue.
But, the old sat nav in my car manages well enough without internet connection. This is the area in which I get confused about what is best, needed / unnecessary, or total over-kill.

Agrinnall, thanks but I need to be a bit more exact - though I have already got the paper & pen ready. Though they're thinking of only allowing me a crayon in the future. Old age, eh, who wants it?

OLDFLYBYNIGHT

Were, that is a solution if I had the ability to access the map data where I need it, and some areas may not have a mobile phone signal - if that's what I'd need. Afterwards, working from paper, it could be updated and be a sophisticated front-end to the data. Thanks.

System

OLDFLYBYNIGHT wrote: »

A smart phone is a bit beyond me I'm afraid because of the monthly charges - guessing that I'd be out of wifi range, and I'm told data charges can be costly. The garmin kit is way too expensive, but thank you for a specific suggestion.

I suppose a tablet would have the same out-of-range wifi issue.

Noooo....the idea is to use the phone as a portable computer with GPS, not buy it to make/receive calls so you don't need a contract.

Buy the cheapest pay as you go mobile phone with built in GPS you can. Hell, buy second hand. Connect to your wifi and download one of the many free GPS applications for the phone. Use those. They don't require you to have an active mobile phone contract or internet access. For normal road Satnav and road maps, HERE maps on Google Play store will give you a free fully functioning satnav application with downloadable maps for the entire world if you have enough storage on the phone.

The beauty of using a mobile phone to do this is if you end up in an emergency. Any mobile phone in the UK even if it hasn't got a SIM card in so cannot be used at all, legally has to be able to make an emergency call which is why when you've got no SIM card in it or you've got no coverage from your own network it says "Emergency Calls Only". So even though you've not got a contract or aren't paying anything to use the phone as a phone, haven't even got a SIM card in it and can't phone anyone nor can they phone you you can dial 999 and any mobile phone network which provides coverage for where you are, regardless of who supplies the service, will take that call and connect you to the emergency services.

OLDFLYBYNIGHT

Tarambor - thank you, I understand now.

I'm going to look for a 'good' second hand one with gps on it, and maybe access to radio 4. If it fits, I'll put in an old O2 sim that has a bit of pay-as-you-go credit on it, if it fits, just in case.

Then as you say, all I need to do is find a suitable application to download. Have been reading about latitude & longtitude, and versions in between, so I may ask for simplification next.
Thanks again.
Gill

were

OLDFLYBYNIGHT wrote: »

Were, that is a solution if I had the ability to access the map data where I need it, and some areas may not have a mobile phone signal - if that's what I'd need. Afterwards, working from paper, it could be updated and be a sophisticated front-end to the data. Thanks.

You can now on mobile phones save the maps Google Maps locally so it does not use extra phone data.

Also zoom in to your google map and try this
https://www.wired.com/2014/02/offline-google-maps

Store Google maps off line, look at the links too
https://www.androidpit.com/use-your-google-maps-offline

Most phones have AGPS - Assisted GPS. My old Compaq phone took about 30 mis to find satellites without the sim or internet. Going under a bridge cause it to look for around another 3o mins
http://www.diffen.com/difference/A-GPS_vs_GPS

there is this for phones - never used it and it seems they want money
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=cz.aponia.bor3.offlinemaps&hl=en

One good offline map program for phones is maps.me as it allows you to touch the screen and save that point as a bookmark like "park bench 2" and it give you the logitude and lattitude

System

Hi

Perhaps "openstreetmap" and then add in your own information.

EG type in 'the cenotaph' and get

Edited 4 months ago by BharataHS
Version #12 · Changeset #44395116
Location: 51.5026685, -0.1260866

Liskeard town hall gets

Node: Liskeard Town Hall (3205185560)

Added Town Hall & Council offices

Edited over 2 years ago by messpert
Version #1 · Changeset #27030275
Location: 50.4556518, -4.4656328



So that you can add edit the data yourself and print etc.

By the way I have no idea if Liskeard has a town hall, or where it is.

OLDFLYBYNIGHT

Thank you, Were, I've been looking at your links on my PC, and am really keen to get a decent smart phone to try your advice in 'anger'.

Does the OK Maps facility works for satellite views too? Because I can actually see the benches, so I'd just need to point to them in the maps.me app. That part of the job could be a simple desktop task, and other than putting numbers on each one of them & measuring the rails, it would save a lot of time.

So thanks again, and as said, I can't wait.